"Buttermilk" Buckwheat Biscuits

Do you ever get odd cravings?  Since giving up gluten, I'll get cravings every now and then for bread-y baked goods.  The most recent one was for a buttery biscuit.  I wanted a slightly warm biscuit that was good enough on its own or slathered with a bit of homemade jam.  I wanted a biscuit that had just the slightest crispness on the bottom and lovely, buttery layers.  The craving immediately made me think of Saturday morning breakfasts when I was growing up.  My father traveled overseas frequently for his job, but when he was home on the weekend, we were treated to an awesome breakfast spread that almost always included his famous biscuits.

I'm not sure why the biscuits were so good, but it was the kind of situation where you ate one and then immediately wanted to eat the entire tray full.  They were in no way gluten free or vegan, but they were darn delicious.  Perhaps another reason they were so good is that my dad was home for once and able to share a nice breakfast with us.  It's always been interesting to me the specific memories we attach to certain foods.

So these biscuits aren't like my father's at all.  I think the only similarity is the name "biscuit".  They are most similar to a buttermilk biscuit with a slight tang from the apple cider vinegar.  The buckwheat flour lends a nice nutty, wholegrain flavor and puts a healthier spin on the traditional biscuit.  They pair really well with all of the fresh summer berries that are available this time of year.  And, in case you were curious, I ended up testing a batch with shortening but ultimately  preferred the vegan butter both for taste and texture. You can use what you prefer.  And, because I love using it, the biscuits photographed had a bit of fleur de sel sprinkled on top so you can go that route if you choose :)

Buckwheat "Buttermilk" Biscuits

notes: the texture of these biscuits relies on fat so don't skimp on the butter or the coconut milk.  The biscuits are best the day they are made but can last a couple of days if  kept in an airtight container or bread box. This recipe is for a smaller batch so feel free to double or triple it to make a large amount.  

55 grams arrowroot flour

55 grams brown rice flour

35 grams sweet rice flour

35 grams buckwheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

sea salt to taste (omit if your butter contains salt)

60 grams cold vegan butter, cut into small cubes

90 grams full fat coconut milk (you can use regular coconut milk but the biscuits will be a touch crumbly/dry)

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.  This will ensure that the bottoms of the biscuits turn golden.  Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt if using it in a bowl.  Whisk the dry ingredients together until they are well combined.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a fork or a pastry blender until it looks crumbly/sandy and the butter is the size of small peas.  Place this mixture in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and psyllium husk in a small bowl and whisk it all together. After 5 minutes, remove the flour mixture from the freezer and add the coconut milk mixture.  Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until a somewhat shaggy biscuit dough forms.  It will be soft but it won't be sticky.  At this point you can either hand-form the dough into rounds or gently roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut it into biscuits. If you go the route of rolling them out, make sure not to add too much more flour or the biscuits will bake up too dry. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms are golden.  Makes 6-8 biscuits depending on how large you make them.